Jump to content
UltiMaker Community of 3D Printing Experts

Recommended Posts

Hi all.

I am currently working on a project at my job where I am trying to print using HDPE. 

The full-scale version I am trying to mimic is made out of HDPE. However, I have read that the HDPE material is extremely hard to print. Are there any alternatives that have similar leachable properties (i.e., very stable). I am not looking at strength properties, only the chemical properties of the material. Any suggestions of Ultimaker materials (or 3rd party) which is similar in this way to HDPE?

Or is there any good Cura recipe out ther for HDPE printing using Ulitmaker S3?

 

Thanks in advance,

Siggi

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    According to Ultimaker, PP and CPE are "chemically resistant":

    https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011940320-Which-Ultimaker-material-should-I-use-

     

    I'm not sure how similar that is to HDPE.  Maybe you need to be more specific - I seem to remember that HDPE is resistant to acids?  I don't know much about this subject.

     

    CPE is pretty easy to print.  Relatively easy.  I think it's the same thing or similar to other vendors products called "PETG".

     

    PP is hard to get to stick to a glass bed.  Ultimaker used to recommend special plastic embedded paper that you put on the print bed but it usually tears so it's a pain in the neck - you have to remove it all and put on a new sheet almost every print (or print on a new area each time).  They are called "print sheets" or something similar.

     

    But now I think there may be newer methods to get PP to stick (maybe using PEI bed instead of glass?  Maybe using "magigoo PP" (never tried it).

     

    What about printing HPDE directly?  I don't know.  I'd give it a shot.  It's not all that expensive.  Make sure you get 2.85mm diameter.  I've seen people complain that "it doesn't stick to itself well" and "it warps off the bed".  These complaints tell me that they aren't getting good layer adhesion.  So print with the fan OFF and crank up the bed as high as you can go (110C or hotter) and cover the printer enough to get the air in there to around 40C (40C is deemed safe by Ultimaker but don't go any hotter as the stepper motors can overheat).  Also experiment with various glues (hairspray, elmers wood glue and water, etc - google these or watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t58-WTxDy-k )

     

    I'd also disable the cooling feature on your S3.  When testing 5 minute prints it really sucks to wait for the bed to cool down to 50C and then heat back up to 110C between every print and every experiment. https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/39188-ultituner-a-tool-to-tweak-your-printer

     

    • Like 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    • 4 weeks later...
    Posted · Using HDPE

    Hi @Siggir,

     

    You could try to look here for a chemical resistance 101: https://ultimaker.com/learn/chemical-resistant-materials-a-beginners-guide

     

    If you're looking for HDPE, the next best material which is reasonably printable is PP. I'd guess giving that a go might work (although Ultimaker PP is a bit more flexible as its an PP-PE copolymer). If you need something stiffer, you could also look at a Marketplace PP / PE material: https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/materials?page=1&polymer_classes=pe,pp,polyolefins.

    Apparently Braskem has a HDPE-like filament with a print profile for the S5 available:
    https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/materials/1234567/FL300PE

     

    Hope this helps!

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • UltiMaker Cura 5.3 stable released
        In this stable release, Cura 5.3 achieves yet another huge leap forward in 3D printing thanks to material interlocking! As well as introducing an expanded recommended print settings menu and lots of print quality improvements. Not to mention, a whole bunch of new printer profiles for non-UltiMaker printers!
          • Thanks
          • Like
        • 31 replies
      • Here it is. The new UltiMaker S7
        The UltiMaker S7 is built on the success of the UltiMaker S5 and its design decisions were heavily based on feedback from customers.
         
         
        So what’s new?
        The obvious change is the S7’s height. It now includes an integrated Air Manager. This filters the exhaust air of every print and also improves build temperature stability. To further enclose the build chamber the S7 only has one magnetically latched door.
         
        The build stack has also been completely redesigned. A PEI-coated flexible steel build plate makes a big difference to productivity. Not only do you not need tools to pop a printed part off. But we also don’t recommend using or adhesion structures for UltiMaker materials (except PC, because...it’s PC). Along with that, 4 pins and 25 magnets make it easy to replace the flex plate perfectly – even with one hand.
         
        The re-engineered print head has an inductive sensor which reduces noise when probing the build plate. This effectively makes it much harder to not achieve a perfect first layer, improving overall print success. We also reversed the front fan direction (fewer plastic hairs, less maintenance), made the print core door magnets stronger, and add a sensor that helps avoid flooding.
         

         
        The UltiMaker S7 also includes quality of life improvements:
        Reliable bed tilt compensation (no more thumbscrews) 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi A 1080p camera (mounted higher for a better view) Compatibility with 280+ Marketplace materials Compatibility with S5 project files (no reslicing needed) And a whole lot more  
        Curious to see the S7 in action?
        We’re hosting a free tech demo on February 7.
        It will be live and you can ask any questions to our CTO, Miguel Calvo.
        Register here for the Webinar
          • Like
        • 18 replies
      • UltiMaker Cura Alpha 🎄 Tree Support Spotlight 🎄
        Are you a fan of tree support, but dislike the removal process and the amount of filament it uses? Then we would like to invite you to try this special release of UltiMaker Cura. Brought to you by our special community contributor @thomasrahm
         
        We generated a special version of Cura 5.2 called 5.3.0 Alpha + Xmas. The only changes we introduced compared to UltiMaker Cura 5.2.1 are those which are needed for the new supports. So keep in mind, this is not a sneak peek for Cura 5.3 (there are some really cool new features coming up) but a spotlight release highlighting this new version of tree supports.  
          • Like
        • 24 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...